Learn Icelandic: Hann fer alltaf heim til sín eftir vaktina. - He always goes home to his place after the shift.

Hann fer alltaf heim til sín eftir vaktina.

He always goes home to his place after the shift.

Breakdown of Hann fer alltaf heim til sín eftir vaktina.

Questions & Answers about Hann fer alltaf heim til sín eftir vaktina.

Why do we use sín here instead of hans (his)?

Sín is the genitive form of the reflexive pronoun sig (oneself). Because the subject of the sentence (hann) is the same person whose home it is, we must use the reflexive form. If we used hans, it would mean he is going home to a completely different man's house.

Why is the reflexive pronoun in the genitive case (sín) instead of the accusative (sig) or dative (sér)?

The preposition til (to) always requires the word that follows it to be in the genitive case. Because he is going til (to) his own place, the base reflexive pronoun sig must change to its genitive form, sín.

How does heim til sín translate literally?

It translates literally as 'home to oneself'. In Icelandic, it is very common to pair heim with til plus a person to specify whose home you are going to. Að fara heim til sín is the standard conversational way to say 'going to one's own place'.

Why do we use heim here instead of heima?